Ancient Ten Commandments exhibits in New York

The most complete ancient copy of the Biblical Ten Commandments goes on public show Friday in New York for a rare viewing outside of its home in Israel.

The yellowed scroll, written in Hebrew, measures 18 by 2.7 inches (45 cm, 7 cm) and dates to between 50-1 BC, according to the Discovery Times Square Exposition, mounting the "Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Biblical Times" exhibition.

The commandments appear in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy and are a foundation of many Western moral values, including prohibitions on murder, theft and adultery. The text is part of the Dead Sea Scrolls found in a series of caves in Israel in the mid-20th century.

It is not the oldest copy of the Ten Commandments. The Nash Papyrus, held by Cambridge University Library, dates to 150-100 BC, although it is in fragments.

But the parchment is the most complete and is so precious that it has rarely been allowed to leave Israel since its discovery.

"It's a parchment, organic material. This is the third time it is out of Israel since 1952. It was in Toronto, Australia and now New York," said Tatiana Treiger, curator of Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).

The Ten Commandments will be on view until January 2, although the rest of the exhibit runs through April 15.

Treiger said that preserving the Biblical treasures had been made harder by the way they were initially treated, such as repairs with sticky tape.

"With the time the glue and oil of the Scotch penetrated the parchments. Now we must removed the Scotch -- a very long and difficult process," she said.

After 20 years of restoration, "I think 60 percent is clean now," she said.